Haiti losses 'struck a chord' with Town Council member Czajkowski
The tall Haitian man, who looked to be in his 20s, wore a flash drive around his neck.
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The tall Haitian man, who looked to be in his 20s, wore a flash drive around his neck.
It’s a late night on Asgard Farm.
The Chapel Hill Planning Board expressed concerns regarding the specificity of guidelines for shelter development at Tuesday night’s meeting.
The man dubbed the “Repeat Robber” of banks by the FBI was arrested Monday and charged with five counts of common law robbery, according to a Raleigh Police Department news release.
Though a property plan presented to the Orange County Board of Commissioners focuses on potential land acquisition projects, commissioners said the county should concentrate on making the property it already owns more accessible.
Investigators are looking into the robberies of two Orange County banks, and officials say it is too early to tell if they are related.
Sylvia Buchholz and Seymoure Freed walked into Trilussa La Trattoria in search of a special dish to celebrate Buchholz’s birthday: paella.After searching the menu, they were disappointed to find that the European seafood dish was not offered. But no sooner had they expressed their dismay than two specially made dishes appeared in front of them, courtesy of head chef Giovanni Caligari.“We were awfully impressed,” Buchholz said. “A restaurant like this is such a pleasure.”Caligari opened Trilussa in 1994, but becoming a cook and owner of a gourmet restaurant on 401 West Franklin Street was not always his first priority.“I’m a master’s degree in architecture in Rome,” said Caligari, who was born in Florence, Italy. “I tried in New York to do engineering, but it didn’t work for me.”Caligari began a construction company in New York that specialized in marble and stone, but it, too, was unsuccessful.Things started looking up when a friend offered Caligari some open space in a building he bought. “He says, ‘Why don’t you open some Italian restaurant?’” Caligari said. “He pushed me, and I start from there.” Caligari began opening restaurants throughout New York City in Greenwich Village, Brooklyn and Manhattan, and Queens.“I become cook because I have no choice,” Caligari said. “I learn from losing.”After moving to Chapel Hill and getting married, Caligari opened Trilussa La Trattoria, a restaurant serving Southern Italian-style food.Caligari works as the head chef and cooks everything himself, with occasional helpers to cut the salad.“I like to cook because I am the owner and the chef, and I can do whatever I want,” he said. “I want to cook in my style. The chef makes the restaurant.”Morgan Ezzell, a UNC junior, has worked for Caligari for three weeks and said the chef keeps the staff on their toes.“It’s crazy but fun,” she said. “He cooks dinner for us every night. My favorite dish is his Caesar salad.”Caligari said he uses only fresh ingredients, including vegetables and herbs he grows in his own garden.“Everything is fresh so you can feel the fresh,” he said. “I also deal only with Italian products.”Caligari said that through Trilussa, he hopes to bring the cooking style of his home country to his Chapel Hill patrons.“Every year I do Christmas for Dean Smith’s family and birthday,” he said. “I make special like in Italy. Like a homemade homemade.”Caligari said he prepares 40 different items for the dinners and it takes two days to prep.“I do it for him,” he said.Now cooking has become a significant part of Caligari’s life, one that he shares with his wife, his two sons who work at Trilussa and his customers.“People see Italian restaurant as pizza and pasta,” he said. “It’s not just that.“I want it to be homemade cooking for the family.”But Caligari said he won’t bother with commercializing the small restaurant.“I don’t make advertising,” he said, “because you come, you like, or you don’t come back.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu
At the last of three community meetings to discuss moving the men’s homeless shelter, students came to lend their support for the relocation.Conversations have been dominated by those who would be neighbors of the new shelter, who express safety concerns.But about 10 students who attended the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service’s meeting said misconceptions about homelessness were coloring the conversation unfairly.“We need to think of how best to serve the homeless rather than thinking of us versus them,” said sophomore Christine Dragonette, former co-chairwoman of the UNC student group Homeless Outreach Poverty Eradication.A new Community House, which would accommodate 52 homeless men, is likely to be built on the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Homestead Road, in close proximity to several neighborhoods, parks and day cares.A majority of residents at the meeting felt that the move would increase crime, stating that many homeless people have criminal backgrounds or are suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.One concerned neighbor asked that tracking ankle bracelets be placed on all men living in the house, which would offer transitional housing to help residents moving toward independent living.But Dragonette, who said she has worked directly with the homeless, said she has never felt unsafe.“This move needs to happen because the place now was never intended to be lasting,” she said, referring to the current shelter location on Rosemary Street.The Inter-Faith Council has been seriously looking for a new permanent site for more than a decade, Associate Director John Dorward said.UNC would provide the land, which was purchased from an old Duke Energy site.The University promised 1.66 acres at a 50-year low-cost lease on the condition that Chapel Hill build a facility there, he said.“The site meets all needs — it was given to us at no cost, it’s already zoned appropriately and it’s relatively easy to build on,” Dorward said.Many potential neighbors wore red in opposition, saying there was no communication involved in the relocation.“People are upset because the siting process was not public,” said Rebecca McCulloh, a member of the Inter-Faith Council Board of Directors.Several residents suggested that monthly meetings be held in which the community would be informed of how the process is being handled.“We want to have more discussion about the population being served,” said Chris Moran, executive director of the IFC. “Who are these people, and why are we afraid of them?”Angela MacDonald, a liaison coordinator for the IFC, summed up her view of the residents’ response: “The best way for IFC to be a good neighbor for us is to not be a neighbor at all.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A customer approached the counter at Starbucks and showed her engagement ring to the woman at the cash register. The response was an exclamation, a rush around the counter and a hug.That’s just normal human relations for Stefany Picquet, who works at the Starbucks on East Franklin Street. Walk in anytime before 4 p.m., and you’re guaranteed to hear Picquet wish you a “super day.”Friends said the full-time Starbucks employee, who is also known as “The Rock,” bubbles with personality from the moment she wakes up at 4:45 a.m. until she’s done for the day.“It’s almost like night and day, the difference when she’s here and when she’s not here,” said Willie Bird, a Starbucks employee who has worked with Picquet for six months.She’s hard to keep up with, and it’s not the result of caffeine, said Emily Glover, Picquet’s fiancée and a graduate student at UNC.Most regular customers personally know “The Rock,” who gets her nickname from the first Starbucks job she had in Raleigh.“It was back in 2000 when we had really bad ice storms,” Glover said. “She closed and opened the store for three days in a row by herself, so they gave her the name ‘The Rock,’ like the wrestler.”Picquet grew up in Brooklyn Park, Minn., and attended the University of South Dakota as a criminal justice major, but didn’t graduate. “I’m in the process of going back to school eventually,” she said. “I’m looking at studying computer technology at Durham Tech.” After moving to North Carolina in 1999, Picquet became a full-time employee at a Starbucks in Raleigh. “I wasn’t really in the community I wanted to be in,” she said. “But then I found this whole different community in Carrboro and met my fiancée.”Picquet proposed to Glover in the rare books collection room in Wilson Library. “Both of us love books, both of us love literature, and I have a masters in literature so it was perfect,” Glover said. “She has the biggest heart of anybody I know.” Picquet also designed the magnolia-shaped ring she gave Glover. She said she chose the shape to symbolize her fiancée’s Southern background.Picquet said she ultimately wants Starbucks to be that third place away from home or the office where people can come in and feel great.“It’s about feeling welcome, knowing the customer’s name, knowing their drink,” she said. “It’s like Southern hospitality.“I just like to know people. I think they’re totally fascinating.” Picquet greets most regular Starbucks customers by their first name and asks them about their days and their lives.“You see people every day and they each have a story,” she said. “You forget that just saying hi or being kind to people totally makes a difference.”Monday, she greeted the old and the young, the long-haired and clean-cut, with the same enthusiasm.Once she meets you, Glover said it’s nearly impossible to cut ties.“Once you’re in with ‘The Rock,’ you’re pretty much in forever.” Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
UNC students haven’t had a reason to rush Franklin Street or buy much memorabilia this basketball season.But with the possibility of winning the National Invitation Tournament on Thursday, they might get their shot.The Chapel Hill Police Department said it is expecting a storm of students and has already made plans to place officers downtown and to close Franklin Street.The only thing is, they might be planning for the wrong street.A Facebook group created by freshman Melvin Backman, a DTH staff member, called “I’m rushing Rosemary Street if UNC wins the NIT” has led the charge to save Franklin Street for the bigger wins. It has a member list of more than 2,130 people.Police Lt. Chris Blue said he was not aware of student plans to storm Rosemary Street.“We are prepared to respond if people do run into the streets,” Blue said.“We will have enough folks there that if we had to close the streets, we can do so safely.”Approximately 45,000 students rushed Franklin Street after UNC’s NCAA tournament wins in 2005 against Illinois and in 2009 against Michigan State.“It would be my guess that we would have fewer people,” Blue said. “We’re actually counting on that.“But we’ll have people available so that if we need to respond to a large crowd, we’ll be able to do that.”Student Body President Jasmin Jones campaigned for safe celebrations after bonfires caused student injuries last year. Her plans included beach balls and a D.J. to steer students away from jumping over fires and climbing trees.But she said she has no policies or plans in place for a downtown rush if there is a win on Thursday.“We’re just waiting to see if something happens,” Jones said. “I would want the students to follow their hearts at the end of the day and just support their team.”Making NIT gearBoth Carolina Pride and The Shrunken Head Boutique, stores that specialize in UNC merchandise on Franklin Street, have already ordered NIT Champions T-shirts, just in case.“They don’t make them until the buzzer sounds,” said Genny Wrenn, daughter of The Shrunken Head Boutique’s owner.John Hudson, manager of Carolina Pride, said he does not expect as big a draw for NIT merchandise as the NCAA had.“I think fans are happy we’re doing well now, but we haven’t gotten a lot of requests,” he said.UNC Student Stores, however, does not plan to sell NIT shirts if Nike does not make them, said senior Joey Stamey, sales floor manager.And though it’s not a NCAA championship year, some students said they are still willing to show their NIT pride.“I don’t have an NIT shirt, so I would definitely wear one,” freshman Ben Barge said. “At least we won something.”
Despite public comments asking to move the library expansion forward, the issue is staying unresolved until at least April.The decision to proceed with an expansion of the current Chapel Hill Public Library was prolonged once again at the Town Council meeting Monday night.Council members debated whether moving ahead with a $16 million expansion without waiting to meet with Orange County commissioners was reasonable.“I know it’s an emotional issue for those who are deeply committed and it’s frustrating that we haven’t moved forward,” council member Matt Czajkowski said.“But I don’t see how we can strengthen our position with Orange County in the next month or two if we make the decision tonight to go forward.”Recently, Orange County offered to contribute in the expansion by providing $250,000.“If we can actually have a decent chance of getting a somewhat more equitable agreement with Orange County and get an extra $250,000, then we can address two issues,” said Czajkowski. “The library could remain free and we could have an extra $250,000 to spend towards an operating budget.”Council member Laurin Easthom, who petitioned the council in January to charge non-Chapel Hill residents, again asked for consideration in the matter.“It doesn’t make sense to me that we shouldn’t consider charging,” she said. “Even if we went through with the expansion, accepted county funds and decided not to charge, we never know if they’ll give us funds again.” Yet town residents still emphasized the critical need for expansion.“What’s our alternative?” said Karen Curtin, Chapel Hill resident. “To operate a facility that’s really too small for our community? That’s not a message we want to deliver.”All five residents who presented at the meeting Monday felt the expansion was necessary.“Sometimes having cake on the table is more important than how you’re going to slice it,” said George Cianciolo, president of the Chapel Hill Library Foundation.
Chapel Hill would not be the first town to ban the use of cell phones while driving.Addressing growing public safety concerns, cities from Detroit, Mich. to Oahu, Hawaii, have either already passed a ban or are discussing its possibility.“Everybody in the world has a cell phone, everybody uses it and now everybody’s texting, which makes it even worse,” said Peggy Hovan of the Brooklyn, Ohio, Police Department, whose town has had a ban for 10 years.But despite the many available examples across the country, Chapel Hill Town Council member Penny Rich said they will not look to other towns for guidance until they work out the ban’s details.Banned in BrooklynTown Council members in Brooklyn, Ohio, lobbied for a cell phone ban and succeeded in 1999.The fine for violation — $3 in 1999 — is now $115.The first year, police issued 79 citations. Since that date, the number has jumped from to 404 in 2005.At least 669 citations were given last year.In Ann Arbor, Michigan, council member Stephen Rapundalo has pursued a ban for the town.He said thousands of people are killed annually in accidents caused by cell phone distraction.“I’m amazed at the amount of science that demonstrates that it’s a major and fast-growing public safety issue,” Rapundalo said.At least 1,475 cell phone-related crashes are reported in North Carolina annually, according to data from the UNC Highway Safety Research Center.Like some Chapel Hill council members, Ann Arbor officials have questioned their ability to enforce a ban.But if the town wants to prove that cell phones contribute to distracted driving, police need to be able to cite specific incidents, Rapundalo said.Jumbled jurisdictionsRich, who proposed a ban for the town in January, is not concerned with how other towns pursued the issue.First, council members need to find out whether they have the authority to pass the ban, she said.The town isn’t sure if it can ban cell phone use while driving on all streets or just those maintained by the town. Streets such as Franklin Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard are the state’s responsibility, and the ordinance might not cover them, Rich said.The town has proposed separating one ordinance banning the use of cell phones into two categories — one for state streets and another for town streets.Enforcing separate ordinances would be difficult as town and state streets are interspersed, Rich said.Chapel Hill’s proposed ordinance would build upon the existing state law that bans texting while driving.“The car is not meant to be a phone booth,” Rich said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Concerns about how a possible cell phone ban on town roads would be enforced dominated Monday night’s public forum on the issue.If put into motion, the ban would prohibit residents from using cell phones while driving in Chapel Hill town limits. The Town Council decided to study the issue and wait for guidance from the N.C. General Assembly.Council members discussed whether the law would apply only to town streets or include state-maintained roads as well.Town attorney Ralph Karpinos told council members two ordinances could be enacted — one for town streets and another for all roads.“We might not have authority over state streets,” he said. “Our argument in support of the ban is somewhat lessened for the state highways.”If the state ordinance were to be challenged, the town rule might still be enforced, Karpinos said.Six states prohibit handheld cellphone use. Hands-free devices are not included in any of the bans.But Arthur Goodwin, a researcher with the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, said both types of phones cause distraction.“There is no safety difference between a handheld phone and one that is hands-free,” he said.In a poll conducted last week by The (Raleigh) News & Observer and ABC 11 Eyewitness News, participants reviewed laws on cell phone use while driving.Forty percent of those polled said that while handheld phones should be prohibited, hands-free devices should be allowed.Forty-seven percent stood in favor of banning all cell phone use.Chapel Hill resident and former Council member Joe Capowski said he supported possible town efforts to minimize distracted driving.“Nissan plans to put an Internet screen to the left of the speedometer on the dashboard because apparently the younger generation is demanding it,” Capowski said. “They say that voice control will render distraction harmless.“Give me a break. Distracted driving is a national issue whose battle is just beginning.”The N.C. General Assembly will review a report on the causes and risks of driver distraction April 15 and could also recommend statewide legislation on the issue.Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said after receiving the state report, the council will return with a proposal for future action as a main agenda item.In the meantime, Penny Rich, who called for the public hearing, encouraged her fellow council members to find out how the states that have enacted the ban have enforced it.Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said he was also interested in pursuing the issue. “I want to see us not just tread water until we get the report from the state,” he said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Chapel Hill residents are advocating for bike routes and sidewalks to be clearly incorporated into the town’s long-term transit plans.Connections between the University’s main campus and the planned satellite research campus, Carolina North, were their main concern at the public hearing at Monday’s Chapel Hill Town Council meeting.Carolina North will be located about two miles north of the main campus.David Bonk, long range and transportation planning manager, presented council members with a basic summary of the proposal, known as the 2035 Long Range Transit Plan.“The plan itself is a framework in which we believe the town of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the University can look at options for future transit service,” Bonk said. He said the plan focuses on expanding transit on major thoroughfares like N.C. 54 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.The plan did not include a bicycle network — an expressed concern of residents.“There doesn’t seem to be a bicycle advocate,” said Glenn Parks, a spokesman for the Neighbors for Responsible Growth group that is pushing for a bike connection between Carolina North and the main campus. “Where is all this stuff knitting together?”Former council member Julie McClintock also mentioned to the council the need for bicycle routes that would connect the University to Carolina North. “If bike connections are not incorporated into the Short Range Transit Plan, we won’t have them,” she said.The planning department identified two investment scenarios to improve traveling conditions. The pricier investment is the installation of a light rail that would serve about 102,000 riders per day.The less costly one would employ a system called Bus Rapid Transit, which would serve about 99,000 riders per day.The Bus Rapid Transit proposal includes higher-capacity buses, separate bus lanes and the use of technology such as the NextBus system, said Steve Spade, Chapel Hill Transit director.“Bus Rapid Transit is a technology that’s been employed for the last 10 years,” said Spade. “It takes the concept of a light rail and adapts it for less capital use.” In order to help meet the goals of the 2035 plan, the policy committee developed the Short Range Transit Plan — a step by step guide for the longer plan. Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt suggested the policy committee develop a graphic and narrative form of the regional, local, and corridor planning so that residents can better understand the concepts.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
The University might have delayed classes Monday morning, but town employees were working hard to clear the streets after the weekend’s snowstorm.The cleaning process included dozens of workers in overtime hours from at least four town departments.Members of the Street Maintenance division, who typically clean roads, operated the snow-clearing equipment.They got help from workers in the Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Solid Waste and Public Safety departments — most of whom have job descriptions not tailored to snow response.“It’s a team effort,” said Richard Terrell, operations manager of the Public Works department. “We utilize those with experience as drivers.”Thirty Parks and Recreation employees are working overtime and will continue through Wednesday, said Butch Kisiah, Parks and Recreation director.“Getting people to work wasn’t really a problem. Guys know that’s probably the job,” he said.“Some guys were so iced in, though, that we actually sent folks out to pick them up.”Parks and Recreation employees knew they were expected to work from Friday through the weekend, Kisiah said.Workers are using 10 snow plows, five motor graders and four box spreaders to clear the routes that were mapped as unsafe.The street-cleaning operation was primarily funded out of the streets division and was the biggest cost, with sidewalk clearing as secondary.Town spokeswoman Catherine Lazorko said funds are typically set aside from typical spending for situations such as employee overtime during snowstorms.Lazorko said department heads discuss snow-clearing procedures regularly.“There is a tremendous amount of coordination that occurs between departments,” she said.Nine car accidents occurred in Chapel Hill over the weekend — an amount Lazorko called relatively small considering the conditions.Nobody was injured in the accidents, she said.In case the snowstorm hit during peak traffic hours, Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt prepared a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in Chapel Hill.The proclamation, which was not officially put into effect, would have discouraged travel and prohibited it on roads with any major obstacles such as fallen trees or power lines.The town updated its Web site at least three times each day with road conditions and sent e-mail news releases through its listserv discouraging residents from driving.“The public really seemed to listen to those warnings,” Lazorko said.While main roads are mostly cleared, some back roads still need to have snow and ice removed, Lazorko said.The full cost of the snow clearing operation and closures has yet to be calculated, Terrell said.The town will know by the end of the week.But with another winter storm forecasted to hit Thursday, the town will have to re-evaluate the numbers. Freezing rain is also predicted for tonight.There might be more overtime and more emergency response expenses to come.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
With newfound support from several community organizations, elected officials and residents, the probability of a light rail in the Triangle is increasing.But a system is still years away, several familiar with the plans said.The North Carolina Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has approved a regional plan for building a light rail in Durham, Orange and Wake counties, said Karen Rindge, executive director of WakeUP Wake County.But before the project can begin, an increased sales tax or other funding option must still be approved.Plans to build a light rail in the Triangle have been underway since the late 1980s.In 2008, the Special Transit Advisory Commission’s proposal to add a light rail in the Triangle failed due to a lack of resident input and not enough federal funding, said Bo Glenn, a member of the steering committee for the Durham-Orange Friends of Transit.But now, the proposal has been incorporated into the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s long-range transportation plan, enabling the two organizations to double their resources and plan for transit for the next 25 years.Light rail advantagesRindge said the light rail would benefit the Triangle by reducing travel time and increasing economic growth in the Triangle.Triangle Transit is also working with officials in Wake, Durham and Orange counties to develop plans.“When you have a rail, it’s dedicated to its passengers,” said David King, CEO and general manager of Triangle Transit. “It’s much more reliable, predictable and safe.”George Cianciolo, a member of the Durham-Orange Friends of Transit cited Charlotte as an example of a city that benefited from the light-rail system when one opened there in 2007.He said the installation of a light rail would also increase hospitals’ ability to bring in new employees. “It would expand their service network,” he said. “Say somebody has an appointment or somebody from Raleigh needs to come over to the UNC hospital. They can drive or they can just jump on a train and essentially go to the hospital’s front door.”Raising taxesThe General Assembly passed a bill in August that will enable counties to hold a referendum to increase sales tax.If approved, the extra revenue will finance the light rail.The decision to hold the referendum will be made by commissioners from the three counties.But the economy stands as the major obstacle for serious discussion on a vote. Local government officials are hesitant to ask residents for money, making the possibility of a vote in the near future unlikely, King said.“It’s not a good time to be asking people to make an investment in infrastructure,” he said.King said those affiliated with the proposed sales tax do not expect a vote to occur any sooner than a year or two from now.Looking aheadIf the proposal is approved, the first track would not be completed for at least seven or eight years, leaving the entire project within a timeline of at least a decade.“It won’t happen if we don’t get that money,” King said.But representatives of all three county boards said they supported the idea for improved transit and were optimistic about the results the rail could produce.“New, improved transit meets the goals of citizens to get around,” said Orange County Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier. “Businesses are behind it because they know it’s good for them. Most people recognize that there is a need for transit.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
At 11:25 p.m., an assortment of zombies, fairies, a fish and one Michael Jackson lay silent on the ground outside the Franklin Street post office.When the clock struck 11:30 p.m., Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” blasted from speakers, and the dancers came to life.The crowd cheered with every precisely choreographed step. They stood on top of recycling bins or sat on their friends’ shoulders to get a view.The dance coordinator, sophomore Imani Parks, began planning the show a month in advance when he and sophomore Nicole Campbell heard the song at Lenoir Dining Hall’s ‘70s dance party.“He thought it would be cool,” said sophomore Colleen Young, a fellow participant.Weeks later, the students heard about “Thriller” dance lessons at The Streets at Southpoint.“We went, we learned the dance, and then we came back and started teaching,” said Parks, who played Michael Jackson, wearing a red jacket, a sequined glove and Jheri curl wig.Campbell and Parks began rehearsing a month ago with their friends.“We asked our friends to recruit more people,” Campbell said. Almost 30 people danced, and a few audience members jumped in. “I thought that it was amazing that students actually organized that,” said freshman Lauren Seborowski, who witnessed the spectacle. “It was incredibly entertaining.” Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.